PTSD and Co-occurring Problems

PTSD commonly occurs with other mental health problems and this can complicate treatment. Frequently a PTSD diagnosis will co-occur with depression and/or substance abuse problems, including alcohol and smoking.

Other problems that are often co-morbid with PTSD include sleep problems, TBI and other physical health conditions, suicidal intent, grief, and anger. Co-occurring conditions are often associated with poorer health outcomes than individual disorders, such as reduced quality of life and increased use of healthcare. Read more about Co-occurring Problems.

Treating Co-morbidities and Complications

If you are treating someone with military service, visit the Community Provider Toolkit. Find mini clinics on suicide prevention, PTSD, women Veterans, and substance abuse. You can also learn how to refer patients to VA services.

First Steps Following Trauma: Psychological First Aid (PFA)

Following disasters and other traumatic events, the first stage of response often involves the principles of Psychological First Aid. Also available: the PFA mobile app, training in PFA, and versions translated into other languages for schools.

Publications

Stay up-to-date on PTSD research developments, including information on co-occurring conditions. Subscribe to the National Center for PTSD's regular publications:

If people are using substances to avoid PTSD symptoms, treating the substance abuse may not be effective unless PTSD is also addressed.

In an effort to find more effective methods of treating Veterans with PTSD and substance use disorder (SUD), enrollment has begun for a randomized clinical trial comparing the addition of a manual-guided cognitive behavioral therapy for PTSD to SUD treatment-as-usual in outpatient addictions settings.

The National Vietnam Veterans’ Readjustment StudyThis study was conducted to obtain accurate prevalence estimates of postwar psychological problems. The full NVVRS Report files are now available for download.

Help us help others with PTSD Join our campaign to help those with PTSD get needed treatment. See AboutFace, an online video gallery of Veterans talking about how PTSD treatment turned their lives around. Then download items from the AboutFace Press Kit including video public service announcements (30 and 60 sec.) and posters. Help spread the word!

National Center for PTSD staff win awards

Dr. Patricia Resick, Director, Women's Health Sciences Division, won the award for Outstanding Contributions for Educational and Training Activities from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies this year.

Dr. Terry Keane, Director, Behavioral Science Division, won the Scientific Contributions to Clinical Psychology Award - the highest award for science given by the Society of Clinical Psychology of the American Psychological Association.

Be sure to forward this update to others so they can subscribe. We send only one update per month to keep you informed of the latest PTSD developments.

Feature Topic next month: Toolkits to help those who interact and work with those with PTSD.